Shop OBEX P1 Docs P2 Docs Learn Events
search sucks on this site and obex — Parallax Forums

search sucks on this site and obex

Zap-oZap-o Posts: 452
edited 2011-10-13 21:05 in General Discussion
Any idea how to use the search?

All I want to find is the PID functions that Andy Lindsay wrote a while back. I put in "PID" get nothing I put in "Andy Lindsay" and get every post ever written in the history of this site.

Any ideas? I am sure this has been brought up before but I can read about it cause if i search for it I get everything.

Comments

  • Spiral_72Spiral_72 Posts: 791
    edited 2011-10-12 09:49
    If all else fails, you can use google. copy:paste the following into the google search bar

    pid site:forums.parallax.com
  • Zap-oZap-o Posts: 452
    edited 2011-10-12 10:00
    Oops that never accrued to me - I should have known better. Thanks Spiral_72
  • ercoerco Posts: 20,259
    edited 2011-10-12 10:07
    http://forums.parallax.com/showthread.php?77656
  • WBA ConsultingWBA Consulting Posts: 2,935
    edited 2011-10-12 10:16
    Zap-o, the search is a stumbling block for many. As Spiral_72 mentioned, doing a domain restricted search on Google is the best way to go. I have found lots of little treasures using that method. It has saved me countless amounts of time when used for the OBEX.

    Also, searches on the forums directly do not work with anything less than 4 characters. That is why PID gives you nothing.

    Lastly, occasionally people will add tags to their posts, so you can search the tag cloud sometimes. (scroll to the bottom and you will see the tag cloud link)
  • Matt GillilandMatt Gilliland Posts: 1,406
    edited 2011-10-12 11:05
    shhhh...!
    (dome of silence decends)

    confidential, internal, eye's only, Parallax secret...

    i use google - works every time-

    -Matt
  • BumpBump Posts: 592
    edited 2011-10-12 11:14
    Matt Gilliland wrote: »
    shhhh...!
    (dome of silence decends)

    confidential, internal, eye's only, Parallax secret...

    i use google - works every time-
    -Matt

    I knew it!
  • Matt GillilandMatt Gilliland Posts: 1,406
    edited 2011-10-12 11:20
    Will none of my Forumista Friends rally to my aid?
    Am I left here to dangle in the wind?
    To face Darth Bump alone?

    Ohhhhh! Woe is me!

    -Matt
  • Phil Pilgrim (PhiPi)Phil Pilgrim (PhiPi) Posts: 23,514
    edited 2011-10-12 11:29
    I use the forum search for words that are longer than three letters -- especially when I know who the author is. But the forum software considers any "word" that's three letters long or shorter to be too "common" to search on, even though there's no such word as, for example, "pid" (although my OED shows it to be an acronym for "pelvic Inflammatory disease"). Perhaps someday the forum software will include a dictionary lookup model for common terms, rather than the more arbitrary word-length rule.

    But, yes, when the forum search fails, Google works fine, and I use it.

    -Phil
  • BumpBump Posts: 592
    edited 2011-10-12 11:33
    Matt Gilliland wrote: »
    Will none of my Forumista Friends rally to my aid?
    Am I left here to dangle in the wind?
    To face Darth Bump alone?

    Ohhhhh! Woe is me!

    -Matt

    I think you'll find my new avatar fitting.
  • mindrobotsmindrobots Posts: 6,506
    edited 2011-10-12 11:38
    So, basically, the search function is telling us "these aren't the threads we are looking for"?
  • TubularTubular Posts: 4,717
    edited 2011-10-12 11:40
    The issue is to do with 3 letter words/acronyms not being searchable, but it would be nice if the search box *told* you this. You can add a * to get around it sometimes, eg
    PID* Lindsay

    Brings up 2 results, the top one being the one you probably need.

    Bump, can is there anything that v-bulletin can do about this? Is it possible to persuade it to index all the three letter words even if it takes a lot of disk space? Is there any way to edit the 'search response' text ("Sorry - no matches. Please try some different terms.") to be a little more helpful? Could you ask the vBulletin makers for a patch? Is there a way to manually enter some specific 2 letter (eg "C3") and 3 letter words to be searchable?
  • TorTor Posts: 2,010
    edited 2011-10-12 11:51
    There are several other sites out there where their search button simply does a google search with site:their-site prefixed. That seems to be an easy way out. You get all the features of the famous web search engine, including handling spelling differences and the like.

    -Tor
  • BumpBump Posts: 592
    edited 2011-10-12 12:57
    mindrobots wrote: »
    So, basically, the search function is telling us "these aren't the threads we are looking for"?

    Yes, but instead of a subtle mind trick it's more of a boot-to-the-head approach.
    Tubular wrote: »
    The issue is to do with 3 letter words/acronyms not being searchable, but it would be nice if the search box *told* you this. You can add a * to get around it sometimes, eg
    PID* Lindsay

    Brings up 2 results, the top one being the one you probably need.

    Bump, can is there anything that v-bulletin can do about this? Is it possible to persuade it to index all the three letter words even if it takes a lot of disk space? Is there any way to edit the 'search response' text ("Sorry - no matches. Please try some different terms.") to be a little more helpful? Could you ask the vBulletin makers for a patch? Is there a way to manually enter some specific 2 letter (eg "C3") and 3 letter words to be searchable?

    I could change the 'phrase' line about not being able to find results and it is possible to rebuild the search database to include 3-letter words, so yes to both of those as possibilities.

    I have a patch to implement soon, but it doesn't fix the problem with search functionality... sadly. The vBulletin staff is very responsive to security issues but historically fails to address a lot of other problems; however they do provide other powerful tools, maybe the best for now, for forum software. Also to note, trying to navigate their code is like untangling fishing-line; it is like four teams developed their own part of the CMS then superglued it all together and called it a day.

    Tags on the other hand work beautifully for less than 4-letter searches. For that we have a few options...
    Right now we have limited it to OP-only tag generation, so it is up to the OP to tag their thread. We could open it up again to allow any user to tag the thread, but therein lies a problem... too many tags. Even with a restriction like 2 tags per post after a while (90 posts later) you're looking at a potential for 180 tags in the tag cloud.

    It can become an even bigger problem when people start to more childishly abuse tags trying to increase its relevance for the forums' search or other external search engines, which lead to our current decision to limit the tags for OP-only and I believe it is a five-tags-per-thread limit. Much like prefixes though we can't force people to use them, search them, or auto-categorize them for the benefit of all users.

    Oh, and I almost forgot. Wildcards and other regexp work for the search on vBulletin forums, if that helps.
  • Phil Pilgrim (PhiPi)Phil Pilgrim (PhiPi) Posts: 23,514
    edited 2011-10-12 12:59
    Referring to Tor's post above, the problem with a Google search is that the hits are not organized in threads or presented in any particular order. Also, you cannot specify the author -- only if his/her name appears somewhere on the same page. That's why I prefer the forum search tool when it's applicable.

    -Phil
  • BumpBump Posts: 592
    edited 2011-10-12 13:02
    Tor wrote: »
    There are several other sites out there where their search button simply does a google search with site:their-site prefixed. That seems to be an easy way out. You get all the features of the famous web search engine, including handling spelling differences and the like.

    -Tor

    This was discussed by the forum staff once before. The reason we won't go this option for the forum's internal search is because of google's, in this example, inability to handle all of the additional functions for a vBulletin search. I'm talking about user search, tag search, date search, thread specific, and so much more.
  • Phil Pilgrim (PhiPi)Phil Pilgrim (PhiPi) Posts: 23,514
    edited 2011-10-12 13:06
    Bump, I miss Nyan Cat! A little OT, but is there any way to make avatar changes apply only to subsequent posts, rather than globally?

    -Phil
  • BumpBump Posts: 592
    edited 2011-10-12 13:20
    Nothing I can see as an out of the box solution, unfortunately. It appears that path is determined by an element that calls a user's avatar, I might be able to rig something up but. Nyan will return though, just goofing before lunch.
  • prof_brainoprof_braino Posts: 4,313
    edited 2011-10-12 14:19
    Bump wrote: »
    ... because of google's, in this example, inability to handle all of the additional functions for a vBulletin search. I'm talking about user search, tag search, date search, thread specific, and so much more.

    Since vBulletin search doesn't work, the additiional functions aren't a big value add. I have never found the built in search function to return a reliable result, so I can't trust it, and so never use it. Google search at least returns results.
  • Phil Pilgrim (PhiPi)Phil Pilgrim (PhiPi) Posts: 23,514
    edited 2011-10-12 15:19
    prof_braino wrote:
    Since vBulletin search doesn't work, ...

    'Odd, then, that my results using the built-in search are usually good, except for the special case of short search words. It's still where I go first to search the forum, and I seldom have to resort to Google.

    -Phil
  • ElectricAyeElectricAye Posts: 4,561
    edited 2011-10-12 15:25
    I always use Google for doing searches here, but can Google even access the Obex? I find searching for things on the Obex to be pert near impossible.
  • TubularTubular Posts: 4,717
    edited 2011-10-12 15:28
    Bump wrote: »
    I could change the 'phrase' line about not being able to find results and it is possible to rebuild the search database to include 3-letter words, so yes to both of those as possibilities.

    I think doing this much would be a significant improvement. Countless future users and many existing ones would love you, or at least not hassle you, for it. Then we'll be able to search for VGA, COG, BOT and PID and all sorts of good things.

    How limited is the 'phrase' line? Could it include an html link to an optional offsite search (limited to the forums.parallax.com domain)?
  • ratronicratronic Posts: 1,451
    edited 2011-10-12 16:06
    In case anybody wanted it here is Andy's spin version of PID.
    spin
    spin
    PID.spin
    10K
  • Dr_AculaDr_Acula Posts: 5,484
    edited 2011-10-12 17:14
    Matt:
    shhhh...!
    (dome of silence decends)

    confidential, internal, eye's only, Parallax secret...

    i use google - works every time-

    -Matt

    Speak up Matt, we can't hear you! *grin*
  • $WMc%$WMc% Posts: 1,884
    edited 2011-10-12 19:46
    DO
    '
    INPUT Parallax_search
    '
    IF your looking for the Parallax = WiFi or something similar THEN
    '
    Parallax_search
    '
    ELSE
    '
    Use google
    '
    ENDIF
    '
    LOOP
    '
    SUB Parallax_search
    __param1 = nothing'...........no help here!!!....move-along...No Search..No WiFi...move-along
    ENDSUB
    '
    SUB Use google
    __param1 = 1' search solved
    ENDSUB

    LOL.............!!!!!
  • WBA ConsultingWBA Consulting Posts: 2,935
    edited 2011-10-12 19:54
    ElectricAye wrote: »
    I always use Google for doing searches here, but can Google even access the Obex? I find searching for things on the Obex to be pert near impossible.
    Absolutely! It works great with the obex. That is the only way I search the OBEX.
  • Zap-oZap-o Posts: 452
    edited 2011-10-13 06:52
    ratronic
    Thanks for the files.

    Parallax - if you wish I could re-make these websites for you and guarantee that the search function would operate correctly. :P
  • RDL2004RDL2004 Posts: 2,554
    edited 2011-10-13 08:23
    You can add a Google search with a site specific option to any web page pretty easily. Here is an example. I'm sure there are more options.
    <br>
<form method="get" action="http://www.google.com/search">

<div style="border:4px solid #038000;padding:4px;width:20em;">

<table border="0" cellpadding="0">
<tr>
<td>

<input type="text"   name="q" size="25"
 maxlength="255" value="" />
<input type="submit" value="Google Search" /></td></tr>
<tr>
<td align="center" style="font-size:75%">
<input type="checkbox"  name="sitesearch"
 value="forums.parallax.com" checked /> only search the Parallax Forums<br />

</td>
</tr>
</table>
</div>
</form>
  • HumanoidoHumanoido Posts: 5,770
    edited 2011-10-13 21:05
    This Google search format has worked for me.

    http://forums.parallax.com/showthread.php?97288-Penguin-Resources&p=678041&viewfull=1#post678041

    The forum's built in search function is not reliable and consistently does not return posts for specific search words, posts that I know exist. So it is not dependable and cannot be used for my searches. If there's a way to finesse it with customization, I simply don't have the internet speed (calling up additional page etc. and wait for loading) or the time for it.
Sign In or Register to comment.